Department for Transport

Gatwick Airport Station

lord bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions, if any, they have had with Gatwick Express about proposals to re-develop Gatwick Airport railway station to manage congestion.

baroness sugg: The Department for Transport is currently working with Network Rail, Gatwick Airport Ltd and other stakeholders to develop proposals for enhancing Gatwick Airport rail station in order to relieve pedestrian congestion at the station. As part of this work the Department and Network Rail have had numerous and ongoing discussions with Govia Thameslink Railway, the parent company of Gatwick Express.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

ANEC

baroness hayter of kentish town: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the contribution of UK consumer representatives to ANEC: the European consumer voice for standardisation, particularly in relation to product safety.

lord henley: All stakeholder views, including those of consumers, should be represented in the development of standards. ANEC is chaired by a representative from the UK National Consumer Federation and independent experts from the UK are active in ANEC Working Groups including on product safety. The Government published its Strategy for Product Safety over the summer and is engaging with many consumer groups, including the UK National Consumer Federation, in taking the strategy forward.

ANEC

baroness hayter of kentish town: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to continue to participate in ANEC: the European consumer voice in standardisation, after Brexit.

lord henley: All stakeholder views, including those of consumers, should be represented in the development of standards. ANEC is chaired by a representative from the UK National Consumer Federation and independent experts from the UK are active in ANEC Working Groups including on product safety. The Government published its Strategy for Product Safety over the summer and is engaging with many consumer groups, including the UK National Consumer Federation, in taking the strategy forward. The UK’s standards body, the British Standards Institution, also has its own consumer network to ensure that the voice of UK consumers is represented in the European standardisation process.

Postage Stamps

lord stevenson of balmacara: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to commission, or support the issue of, postage stamps to commemorate the contribution made by UK troops to operations in Iraq between 2003 and 2009.

lord henley: Matters relating to postage stamps, including special commemorative stamps, are the responsibility of Royal Mail.

Manufacturing Industries

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans, if any, they have to implement a long-term strategy to help boost growth in the manufacturing sector.

lord henley: Britain has a proud manufacturing heritage currently supporting 2.7 million jobs across the country. Through our modern Industrial Strategy, we are creating opportunities for UK manufacturing to build on its strengths and continue to grow. We are working closely with industry to secure a strong future for UK manufacturers through major new investment in research, with a commitment to increase total R&D investment to 2.4% of GDP by 2027. In addition, we are: Investing £1bn through the ambitious new Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, bringing together world class UK research with business investment to develop the technologies and industries of the future;Reforming our technical education system to achieve a world-class status;Developing a National Retraining Scheme to support adults to upskill and reskill throughout their career as the economy changes;Creating the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, a domestic programme of investment to boost productivity and reduce economic inequality across the country following our departure from the European Union;Working with industry to exploit opportunities highlighted in the Made Smarter Review, which identifies significant benefits to the UK from integrating digital technology into manufacturing through a strong government and industry partnership.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Saudi Arabia: Capital Punishment

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Saudi Arabia concerning the proposed execution of five human rights activists.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​We are monitoring closely the cases of all detained activists, in particular those cases in which the public prosecutor has recommended the death penalty. We will attend all trials of international concern that we are able to. Ministers frequently discuss human rights with the Saudi Arabian Government and have raised specific concerns about the prosecution of human rights activists on four occasions between May and September 2018.

Israel: Bedouin

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action, if any, they intend to take to prevent the forced removal of the community and school of Khan al-Ahmar.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​The UK remains gravely concerned by proposals to demolish the Bedouin community of Khan al-Ahmar which the UN has said could amount to ‘forcible transfer’, in violation of International Humanitarian Law. Following the decision of the Israeli Supreme Court on 5 September, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office issued a statement with France, Germany, Spain and Italy reiterating our call to the Israeli Government not to go ahead with its plan to demolish the village – including its school – and displace its residents. We will continue to raise these concerns with the Israeli authorities.

Ahed Tamimi

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations theyare making to the government of Israel regarding the reported banning by Israel of the Tamimi family from travelling abroad.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We have not made any representations to the Israeli authorities on this issue as immigration policy is a sovereign matter for Israel to determine.

Department for Education

Nurses: Training

lord allen of kensington: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effect of the withdrawal of the nursing bursary on thenumber of applications for nursing degree courses in England.

lord agnew of oulton: The department is working with relevant bodies across health and education to monitor the effects of the healthcare funding reforms, including the impact on application numbers. There is still strong demand for nursing courses. While the latest UCAS figures for 31 August 2018 show that English acceptances to nursing courses have fallen by 3.7% compared to the previous year, there are still more applicants than places available for them. The Department for Health and Social Care is working with Health Education England and the university sector to ensure students continue to apply for courses up to the end of clearing in October 2018 and in future years. We have also opened new work-based learning routes into the nursing profession for those who may not be able to study full-time.

Office for Students

baroness brown of cambridge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to issue regulations to the Office for Students on validation arrangements under either section 51(1)(b)(i) or section 51(1)(b)(ii) of the Higher Education and Research Act 2017.

lord agnew of oulton: The government currently has no plans to lay regulations under section 51(1) of the Higher Education and Research Act (HERA) 2017. The department believes the best approach to improving the operation of validation arrangements is a non-legislative approach in the first instance. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education (Secretary of State) has asked the Office for Students (OfS) to undertake an assessment of the operation of the current validation system to identify any unnecessary barriers for providers seeking a validation partner, and to consider what steps it could take and how it could encourage removal or mitigation of such barriers. Once section 50 of HERA is commenced next year, it will be open to the OfS to make use of its powers under that section to enter into commissioning arrangements with providers for the provision of validation agreements. If, after taking advice from the OfS, the Secretary of State considers it necessary or expedient to do so (for example, if it is found that the system is not working well and the OfS’s existing powers are insufficient to improve it), it is open to the Secretary of State to bring forward legislation under section 51(1) of HERA to authorise the OfS to operate its own validation service for registered providers.

Mandarin Language: Education

lord pendry: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the relative levels of study of Chinese in private and state schools; what steps they are taking to increase the teaching of Chinese in state schools; and what assessment they have made of the importance of developing Chinese language skills to the UK’s trade relationship with China post-Brexit.

lord agnew of oulton: The government is encouraging pupils to take a language at GCSE as one of the academic subjects making up the English Baccalaureate school performance measure. To target Mandarin uptake in particular, the government’s £10 million Mandarin Excellence Programme (MEP) aims to have at least 5,000 young people on track towards fluency in Mandarin by 2020. As of September 2018, there are over 60 state-funded schools on the programme, meaning we are on track to delivering the MEP’s target. The proportion of pupils taking Mandarin at GCSE has increased over time, with the number of entries at GCSE and A level both increasing this year. Pupil matched data for 2018 will be available in the autumn.[1] The time series for the number of GCSE entries in Chinese for the most recent five years of published data in England is given in the attached table (a). The time series for the number of A level entries in Chinese for the most recent five years of published data in England is given in the attached table (b).[2]  [1] Joint Council of Qualifications data 2018, https://www.jcq.org.uk/examination-results. This data is not discounted and is not comparable to the data in the tables below. We will have comparable data in autumn 2018. [2] These figures are all published as part of the 16-18 performance tables publications: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-attainment-at-19-years. 



HL10270_Table_(a)_GCSE_entries_Chinese_five_years
(PDF Document, 66.62 KB)




HL10270_Table_(b)_A_Level_entries_Chinese_five_yea
(PDF Document, 60.65 KB)

Ministry of Defence

Middle East: Islamic State

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their estimate of the number of IS fighters who remain in (1) Syria, and (2) Iraq; and what is their assessment of the threat those fighters pose.

earl howe: Daesh has lost over 99% of the territory it once held in Iraq and Syria and the Coalition assesses there are currently not enough Daesh fighters remaining in Iraq and Syria to make any further significant territorial gains. However, Daesh has dispersed into a cellular structure in order to maintain some form of insurgency activity, including through extortion, planting improvised explosive devices, kidnapping and mounting terrorist attacks. As part of the Global Coalition, the UK subscribes to this assessment and aims to remove any opportunity for Daesh to pose a threat to the security of Iraq, the UK and our allies.

Armed Forces: Mefloquine

the countess of mar: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they intend to publish the results of the research into the side effects of malaria chemo-prophylaxis referred to in their second and third six-monthly progress updates to the House of Commons Defence Committee on its report An acceptable risk? The use of Lariam for military personnel, published on 24 May 2016.

earl howe: Data collection for this research has been completed and data cleansing, analysis and production of a report is under way, with completion anticipated in 2019.

Afghanistan: Military Aid

lord browne of belmont: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many British troops are currently serving at military training academies in Afghanistan.

earl howe: As at 17 September 2018, the UK has 146 personnel deployed to the Afghan National Army Officer Academy (ANAOA) where we are supporting the development of the Afghan National Army's future leaders. The UK also has 28 personnel deployed in support of the Afghan Infantry Branch School. The UK's contribution to both ANAOA and the Infantry Branch School is part of the UK's wider contribution to NATO's Resolute Support Mission.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Scallops: Fisheries

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend that any agreement between the UK and France on the recent scallop dispute shall be retained after Brexit.

lord gardiner of kimble: From 2020, the UK will negotiate access and fishing opportunities annually, with the EU and other third countries as an independent coastal state. As part of this process, the UK will seek to continue cooperating with the EU on the sustainable management of fish stocks.

Furniture: Fire Resistant Materials

the countess of mar: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to warn the public (1) about sofas and mattresses that contain the toxic flame-retardant chemical DecaBDE, (2) that these items are unsuitable for recycling; and (3) that they should be disposed of safely.

lord gardiner of kimble: The UK ceased production of decaBDE in 1996 and its use has declined sharply since then. Many other countries have also phased out its use, thanks to proactive lobbying by the UK government. It will be banned under the UN Stockholm Convention on persistent organic pollutants in December this year and under the European chemical regulation regime, REACH, in March next year. It will not be present in household soft furnishings and mattresses offered for sale once the ban comes into effect. We are working with stakeholders and experts to determine the likely extent of decaBDE in older soft furnishings and assessing the best disposal routes to protect the environment and human health.

Nitrogen Dioxide

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the UK intends to continue to meet the EU’s targets for nitrogen dioxide emissions to improve air quality after Brexit; and if not, what targets they intend to meetinstead.

lord gardiner of kimble: The UK has ambitious international targets in place to reduce emissions significantly of five damaging air pollutants by 2020 and 2030 as set in the EU National Emission Ceilings Directive and international Gothenburg Protocol. We have also transposed air pollutant concentration standards, as set by the Ambient Air Quality Directive, into domestic law. These targets will remain in place after the UK leaves the EU. We have consulted on a new world-leading Clean Air Strategy, which goes beyond EU requirements to tackle not just nitrogen dioxide, but all of the main sources of air pollution. This includes being the first major economy to set goals working towards World Health Organization recommendations on Particulate Matter emissions. Our ambition has been commended by the World Health Organization and goes beyond any EU requirement.

Food and Livestock: UK Trade with EU

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that food and livestock may be delayed at UK borders in the event of a no-deal Brexit; and what plans, if any, they have to combat a potential shortage of vetsworking at UK borders.

lord gardiner of kimble: The checks and import process for live animals, products of animal origin, high-risk food and feed from the EU will not change on day 1. We are adopting a risk based approach and envisage no radical change to the process initially. In a no deal situation the EU will not carry out full checks on imports of third country animal products and high-risk food and feed which move through the EU before arrival in the UK (transit goods). Importers would therefore need to notify UK authorities using the new import notification system and would be directed to an existing UK Border Inspection Post (BIP) where the relevant checks would take place. This requirement would ensure that the current level of biosecurity is maintained. (Currently these transit goods are checked at point of entry to the EU and enter the UK as an EU import without the need for further checks). We are working closely with ports, carriers and trade groups to look for ways to minimise the impact on current trade routes. Export to third countries will continue as now, with amendments to the wording of Export Health Certificates (EHC) to reflect the fact that we have left the EU. If the UK leaves the EU in March 2019 with no deal in place, EHCs would be required for exports of all live animals and products of animal origin from the UK to the EU. EHCs would need to be signed by an Official Veterinarian or authorised signatory following inspection of the consignment. Consignments would need to arrive through a BIP within the EU. This is new for those businesses who export only to the EU and will incur some additional cost and administration. To prepare for the potential increase in EHC numbers, work is being undertaken to make the application process simpler - as we expect many more exporters to start using it - and to ensure that there is enough capacity amongst appropriately trained veterinarians or authorised signatories to approve the additional certificates. We cannot comment on the readiness of the EU in terms of BIP infrastructure to process and check our exports of live animals and products of animal origin.

Home Office

Deportation: Sudan

baroness cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they consider Khartoum to be a safe place to which to deport non-Arab Sudanese migrants.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Office’s assessment of the situation for Sudanese asylum seekers is set out in the relevant country policy and information notes, which are available athttps://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sudan-country-policy-and-information-notes.As they set out, a consideration of whether it is safe for a person to return to Khartoum will depend on the individual facts of their case.Country analysis and general guidance for Home Office decision makers on handling particular types of protection and human rights claims. This includes whether claims are likely to justify granting asylum, humanitarian protection or discretionary leave, and whether – if a claim is refused – it is likely to be certifiable as ‘clearly unfounded’ under section 94 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002. 



Publication - Sudan Country Policy and Information
(PDF Document, 677.76 KB)

Agriculture: Seasonal Workers

the lord bishop of st albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to provide visas for seasonal agricultural workers and to ensure that there will be a sufficient number of such workers to meet harvest need.

baroness williams of trafford: I refer the Noble Prelate to the Written Ministerial Statement (HLWS911) my Rt. hon friend the Home Secretary made on 6 September 2018. A copy of which is attached for your reference.The pilot will mean fruit and vegetable farmers are able to employ migrant workers for seasonal work for up to six months. 2,500 workers from outside the EU will be able to come to the UK each year, alleviating labour shortages during peak production periods.The Seasonal Workers pilot will be run by two scheme operators, who will oversee the placement of the workers. The arrangements for selecting these will be announced in due course.The pilot will run until the end of December 2020 and will be monitored closely by the Home Office and the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs.   



HLWS911 (Written Ministerial Statement) 
(PDF Document, 242.33 KB)

Licensing Laws: Aviation

baroness hayter of kentish town: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to extend the Licensing Act 2003 to apply airside at airports.

baroness williams of trafford: The Government has publicly committed to issue a Call for Evidence on airside alcohol licensing.The Call for Evidence will allow the Government to assess the true scale of the problem of drunk and disruptive airline passengers, the extent to which existing statutory powers and other measures are used to address the problem as well as impact the extension of the Licensing Act 2003 to airside premises at international airports in England and Wales could have on reducing alcohol-related disruptive passenger behaviour. The Call for Evidence will be issued shortly.

Department for Exiting the European Union

Brexit

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are confident that they will be able to secure an initial deal on Brexit by18–19 October European Council meeting.

lord callanan: Both the UK and EU are working towards reaching an agreement in October. The UK’s main priority remains getting a good deal, and we are still working to ensure we get that good deal within the timetable that enables us to leave the EU on 29 March 2019.

Department for International Trade

Trade Agreements

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they anticipate any additional costs associated with the necessary renegotiation over trading agreements between the UK and European Free Trade Association countries and Turkey.

baroness fairhead: The Department was created in July 2016 following the result of the EU referendum and was specifically established as part of the government’s EU exit strategy. Given DIT’s objectives, all funding contributes to preparing for the UK’s exit from the EU. As per the 2018-19 Main Estimates, DIT’s total funding is £360.6m. It was announced in March 2017 that DIT would also receive £74m of EU exit funding, which can be found in the Chief Secretary’s Written Ministerial Statement, HCWS540. (https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2018-03-13/HCWS540/)